Sliding bar for fences



(No Model.) Y GREECE SLIDING BAR FOR FENGBS.

No. 543,296. Patented July 23, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SLIDING BAR` FOR FENCES.

i SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,296, dated July 23, 1895.

Implication filed November 30, 1894. Serial No. 530,405. (No model.)

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN CREECH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paint Lick, in the county of Garrard and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Sliding Bar for Fences, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in sliding bars for fences.

The object of the present invention is to provide for fences a series ofsliding bars which may be readily operated to provide an opening in thefence to afford a passage-way.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of such barswhich may be readily applied to any ordinary'fence without mortising thefence-posts thereof.

- The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a portion' of a fenceprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theupper bars lowered to afford a passageway. Fig. 3 is a detail sectionalview on line a; a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa similar view on line y fg ofFig. l.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1, 2, and 3 designate a series of horizontal rails or bars supported byposts 4 and 5, which are provided with staples-6,7, and 8, arranged in avertical series on the front faces of the post and forming keepers forthe ends of the horizontal bars or rails. The staples or keepers 6 arearranged oul the fence-post 4 and are ol' less vertical length than thewidth of the horizontal bars or rails, and the latter have theiradjacent en'dsreduced to form rectangular tongues or tenons 9 tting inthe staples 6. The tenons or tongues tit in the staples and theshoulders above and below them form stops and engage the staples tolock` the rails against forward movement.

The staples or keepers Tand 8 are arranged on the fence-posts 5. Theupper ones 7 are disposed at an inclination, as shown, to permit theupper series of rails or bars l to be swung downward, as illustrated inFig. 2 of against and twisting them. The lower series of stays 8 aredisposed vertically, and thelower rails or bars 2 and 3 are provided attheir lower edges with notches 10, which engage the bottom-portionsofthe staples or keepers, whereby those bars or rails are locked againstlongitudinalmovement.

The upper series of horizontal bars orrails 1 are operated by a lever11, which is lfulcrumed at its lower end at 12, and which is pivoted at13 to the upper series of bars or y rails 1, whereby when theoperating-lever is swung in the direction of the arrow the upper seriesof rails 1 will be moved longitudinally in the same direction and willbe disengaged from the staples or keepers 6 to provide an opening orpassage-way. When the rails 1 are opened, as illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe accompanying drawings, they are supported by the rail 2, the latterand the lowermost rail 3 remainingin position. This provides an openingwhich will enable a person to readily pass through, andthe rails2 and 3remaining intact are sufciently low to permit a horse or other animal tostep over them readily and to pass through the open space in the fence.l

The lever 11 is locked against accidental outward 'movement by a wire 14or similar connection, which forms a link and which has one end attachedto the lever and which is provided at its other end with a loop 15 forengaging a spike or other projection extending upward from the top ofthe post 4:. When the lever is locked it prevents any upward movementofthe bottom rail 3 by stock and the second rail 2 fromv the bottom islocked against upward movement in its keeper 8 by a pivoted button 17mounted on the post 5 and arranged to engage the upper edge of the rail2.

It will be seen -that the rails may be conveniently applied to a fenceof the ordinary Vcon- Y the accompanying drawings, without bindingstruction without mortising the fence-postand that they are readilyoperated to afford an opening or passage-way in the fence.

. Vhen it is desired to permit the passage of small animals the rail 2,which is not pivotally connected with the lever 1l, may be removed Vbydisengaging the button or may be raised or lowered tovprovide vanopening or passage-way at the bottom of the fence. This IOO ers of thepost 4 and arranged in the inclined.

keepers of the post 5 and adapted to be lowered without twisting thelatter and being held rigid by the same when in a horizontal position,the bottom rail, the operating lever fulcrumed on the bottom rail andpivotally connected to the upper rails, and the removable rail locatedbetween the bottom rail and the series of upper rails, and mountedindependently of the lever and being entirely free of thel same, wherebyit may be removed to afford a passageway at the bottom of the fencewithout disturbing` the other rails, substantially as described.

2. The combination of fence posts, a series of keepers 6 arranged on oneof the fence posts, the keepers 7 and S arranged on the other post, thekeepers 7 ,being disposed at an inclination, the rails l, 2 and 3arranged in the keepers 7 and 8 and provided with tongues or tenons forengaging the keepers 6, the rails 2 and 3 being provided at their loweredges with notches engaging the keepers 8, a pivn oted button locatedabove the rail 2 for securing the latter against upward movement to holdthe notch thereof in engagement with the keeper, an operating leverfulcrumed on the rail 3 and pivotally connected to the rails l, andmeans for locking the lever against accidental movement, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence'ot` two Witnesses.l

JONATHAN GREECl-l.

Vitnesses:

A. L. HURsT, HENRY MOORE.

